Noah Lyles produced a world-leading performance to win the men’s 200 metres in 19.63 seconds at the USA Track and Field Championships on Sunday, but the victory was overshadowed by a fiery post-race exchange with rival Kenny Bednarek.
Trailing off the bend, Lyles surged past Bednarek in the final stretch and turned to stare down his competitor as the pair crossed the line. Bednarek, who had claimed the 100m title on Friday, clocked 19.67 seconds and shoved Lyles in the back after finishing. Lyles responded angrily with raised arms before the two exchanged words and eventually shook hands.
“It was a pretty difficult championship,” said Lyles, who has been dealing with an ankle injury. “I’ve been tired. It’s been rough, coming out here when you’re not 100 percent.”
Lyles, a three-time world champion in the event, had already secured his place at next month’s World Championships in Tokyo with a bye, but competed to sharpen his form. Tensions between the pair continued during their trackside NBC interview, with Bednarek challenging Lyles to “talk after this”.
In the women’s 200m, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden made history by becoming the first woman since 2003 to win both the 100m and 200m national titles. She led from the start to claim the win in 21.84 seconds. Anavia Battle took second in 22.13, while Gabby Thomas edged Brittany Brown for the final World Championship spot in a dramatic photo finish. Both clocked 22.20, but Thomas was awarded third place by just one-thousandth of a second.
Notably absent from the final was Sha’Carri Richardson, who failed to advance after finishing fourth in her semi-final. Richardson, recently arrested for domestic violence in Seattle, had earlier withdrawn from the 100m semis but retains her 100m place for Tokyo as the reigning world champion.
Elsewhere, Donavan Brazier marked his return to form after nearly three years out with a commanding victory in the men’s 800m, clocking 1:42.16. His comeback was matched by 17-year-old high school star Cooper Lutkenhaus, who broke the world under-18 record with 1:42.27.
In the women’s 800m, NCAA champion Roisin Willis produced a late charge to take the win in 1:59.26.
Cole Hocker secured the men’s 5,000m title with a blistering final lap, just a day after claiming bronze in the 1500m, the event in which he won Olympic gold in Paris.
In the field events, three-time world silver medallist Sandi Morris cleared 4.83m to take the women’s pole vault title.
Ja’Kobe Tharp won the men’s 110m hurdles final, which was missing Olympic champion Grant Holloway. Holloway, fifth fastest in the semi-finals, chose not to run the final, having already secured a bye to Tokyo where he will seek his fourth world outdoor title.